Voyage

It's 100 minutes of my life I will never get back.

This film tells the story of a young psychiatrist who embarks on a voyage on the sea, as he is troubled by his patients' suicides.

Shown in only one cinema in Hong Kong, I had the privilege to watch it with director's Q&A after the screening. "Voyage" is very unlike Scud's previous films, as it does not have a gay storyline, nor does it have a linear and coherent plot. The story is actually many different stories pieced together by the psychiatrists' memories. The initial story, starring Byron Pang set in Mongolia, is graphically shocking as viewers in the cinema are mostly unprepared for the graphic violence. The second stories, set in Malaysia, is tragic but interestingly does not involve the behaviour that is central to the film.

There are many other unconnected stories, told bit by bit, and hence unfortunately lacks a nice flow. In addition, because there are so many stories, every one of them feel underdeveloped. There could have been more explanation on the antecedents and consequences leading to the characters' behaviour.

"Voyage" marks Scud's departure from making gay films, to a film about mental health issues. As Scud says in the Q&A, this type of film is becoming extinct. I applaud him for keeping diversity alive in the Hong Kong film industry.

This film tells the story of a young psychiatrist who embarks on a voyage on the sea, as he is reliving his patients' suicides.

Yes it is a bothersome movie, which is what art is supposed to be. It makes you think, and most of all, the way it is build forces you to build up your own story and reflection about the multiple themes.

Of course, it is mostly centered around the acceptance of death, and how once accepted, it is more scary for the people who stay than for the one who goes.

The first episode in the Mongolian desert, to me does not relate much to the rest of the movie. But then, step by step, image by image, we are led to connect the dots and for whoever was brave enough to stay till the end, we have a story.

I must add though, that the walk toward the sunset at the end is a bit Hollywood to me. Just a personal preference :-)